On Moves to Scrap MGNREGA

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement on July 4THE Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) strongly protests against any move to scrap or weaken the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

FIFA, IOC Style Neo-Liberalism

DEVASTATED! Or is it too mild a word to explain the emotions of all the fans of Brazilian football, not to speak of the Brazilians, after the 7-1 semi-final routing of Brazil at the hands of Germany? Brazilians wanted to exorcise the ghosts of their loss in the final of 1950 World Cup at the Maracana, till now considered as a national tragedy, by hosting and winning this World Cup at home. That was not to be.

Adivasi Labour under Contemporary Capitalism: Some Evidence from Census of India, 2011

AS the new BJP government prepares to present its first budget in parliament and the finance minister prepares the citizens for ‘tough days’, the census has released detailed data on the work patterns of the adivasis. This data clearly shows that adivasi workers are entering the labour market in search of employment, but are finding no jobs. They are therefore forced into marginal and low wage work in order to eke out their survival. Though this trend is evident from the beginning of the reforms, it seems to have intensified in the last decade.

Defeat Modi Govt’s Conspiracy to Dismantle Public Procurement Mechanism

THE Narendra Modi led NDA government is going ahead with its plans to gradually finish off the public procurement mechanism in a move which will adversely affect livelihoods of millions of farmers, seriously compromise the food security of the nation as well as mean further increase in food grain prices for the masses. The ministry of consumer affairs, food and public distribution has issued a letter to states regarding change in policy of procurement for the central pool. This will dismantle even the present weak public procurement as well as the price support system to India’s farmers.

Thousands of Anganwadi workers & helpers Observe ‘Demands’ Day’ on July 4

THE All India Federation of Anganwadi Workers and Helpers (AIFAWH), in a statement issued on July 4, has congratulated the Anganwadi workers and helpers all over the country for the successful observance of the All India Demands’ Day on July 4, 2014.

On The Rangarajan Report on Poverty

“THE issue of poverty estimates has been the subject matter of public debate in and outside parliament. Government respects and is fully conscious of the sensitivities of the people on this issue…The government has also taken a decision to set up a technical group to revise/revisit the methodology for estimating poverty in a manner which is consistent with the current realities.” This extract is from the government’s press note in March 2012 on the appointment of C Rangarajan as the chairman of the technical group.

Don’t Make MGNREGA a Hostage to Fiscal Considerations

Given below is the text of the letter addressed to Nitin Gadkari, union minister for rural development by CPI(M) Polit Bureau member, Brinda Karat on July 4, expressing serious concerns on the functioning of MGNREGA and reports that the Rajasthan government has sought the scrapping of the Act.

I would like to draw your attention to some serious problems concerning the functioning of MGNREGA and to request you to take appropriate measures to strengthen the Act and ensure that it does not become hostage to fiscal considerations.

Indian Intelligence Agencies Helping NSA to Spy on its own Citizens

THE Indian media has missed the major implications of the latest Snowden disclosures. It is not simply that India is one of the countries, or that the BJP is one of the political organisations under NSA surveillance. The real question is how is the NSA carrying out this surveillance? The answer to that lies in another piece of the puzzle that is now public – India is one the 33 countries that has “3rd party” agreement that allows NSA access its telecom and internet network subject to this intelligence being shared.

UNION BUDGET 2014-15

FOUR things stand out about the union budget for 2014-15 presented to parliament on July 10. First, the figures it presents are palpably unreal. Second, the basic fiscal strategy it embodies consists in providing concessions to the better off segments of the population, viz., the corporate elite and the upper middle class, at the expense of the poorer strata. Third, it unfolds a roadmap for the future that involves a significant privatisation of the economy, both through a pervasive reliance on Public-Private Partnerships and also through a massive sale of public sector equity.

New BJP President

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement on July 10.

THE selection of Amit Shah as the BJP president indicates the direction of politics the party intends to pursue.

The new BJP president has been charge-sheeted and is undergoing trial on the serious charge of murder connected with false encounters when he was the home minister in Gujarat. The Election Commission had prohibited him from participating in the election campaign in Uttar Pradesh during the Lok Sabha polls for making communal speeches.

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